Ayanda Duma is a Johannesburg-based film director known for her bold storytelling that explores themes of race, politics, sexuality, and mortality within the black experience. Her work is distinguished by a blend of provocation and humour, aimed at challenging perceptions and sparking dialogue.

She began her formal film education in 2016 at CityVarsity Cape Town, where she studied a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television Production Techniques. In 2017, her short film Booked earned her a spot on the shortlist for the Horizon Award for women directors, which led to an invitation to the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 and an internship with Hyde Park Entertainment, a global production and distribution company. Throughout her studies, she was awarded Best Director for three consecutive years and received the Shooting Star Award at graduation.

Ayanda has since worked in a range of production roles, including as a creative researcher at Giant Films and a local producer for the BBC documentary series Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne. She has directed fashion films, music videos, and branded content for Colgate, Telkom, Standard Bank, Cosmopolitan, and Defy.

In 2023, Ayanda made her documentary series debut, directing all eight episodes of Sex & Pleasure for Showmax, which was nominated for Best Documentary & Non-Scripted Series at the 2025 South African Film and Television Awards.